


Alone on Storm Watch

by kheradihr



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bedside Vigils, Multi, falling in love in absentia, jedistormpilot, post episode vii
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 09:17:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6605266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kheradihr/pseuds/kheradihr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poe Dameron, ace pilot, hero of the Resistance, dashing rogue, never thought he'd find himself inexplicably drawn to a defected stormtrooper and a half-feral scavenger, yet here he was holding vigil for the man who held his heart while the woman of his dreams goes to find a legend. As long as it's for them, he'd shovel rancor dung and he's completely okay with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone on Storm Watch

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to explore what happened outside the film, in the parts between scenes. Doing it, I got to think a little more on Poe and how he's now second fiddle to Finn and Rey and how okay he is with it.

            If someone asked him what he would be doing after the Resistance’s first major victory against the First Order, Poe Dameron would not have answered posting vigil for a stormtrooper-turned-Resistance hero. Yet here he was, sitting on a storage crate near a hospital bed, knees growing divots from resting his elbows on them watching Finn sleep. He still couldn’t get the sight of Finn being carried off the Millennium Falcon and when he let his mind wander, he was there all over again.

            In the comparative safety of hyperspace, Poe opened a channel to the Falcon. “Hell of a firestorm fireworks show, eh Finn?”

            Silence. He knew that silence. It was the silence of someone not wanting to share bad news. The cheer elevated by adrenaline drained from him. Did they not get Rey back? Did something happen to Finn and no one wanted to tell him? Dammit, he had to know. Just as he was about to start through the list of everyone supposed to be on the Millennium Falcon, Rey’s voice came in over comms.

            “Poe?”

            It killed him to hear Rey so choked up and BB-8 whistled lowly in agreement to his thought. From the hours he spent listening to Finn he knew she was level-headed in ways that made him want to dump her in an X-wing and haul after her wherever she went. Of course, he’d have to figure out how to put a second seat in his cockpit for Finn since the kid couldn’t pilot his way out of a ration bag and would try to follow them.

            “Where’s Finn? He went after you and I have to be honest Rey, I expected to hear him over the comms. Maybe Chewie or Solo.”

            She choked and audibly swallowed back tears which sent his stomach into a tailspin. “Chewie is taking care of Finn. He’s going to need a medic. Kylo Ren—Finn got hurt pretty bad. And Han—”

            She dissolved into heaving hiccups as she tried valiantly to not cry and Poe wished they weren’t traveling faster than lightspeed so he could crush her in a hug so she could mourn safely without worrying about anyone judging her despite Finn’s voice saying Rey didn’t like to be touched. Damn. Han Solo had been one of his heroes. Now he was gone. Fin was injured bad enough to worry Rey, and half his squadron was dead. His grip on the controls tightened as he shuddered, the adrenaline of battle draining like a burst dam.

            Landing on D’Qar happened too fast and too slow at the same time. He dreaded having to deal with all of the celebrants on the flight deck but he needed to get to Finn and Rey so he could see and touch them. He needed to be grounded by their presences – thanks to Finn he felt the same impossible pull of Rey’s presence – and the strange jittery state he was in now needed to be crushed. He was Poe fucking Dameron, ace of the Resistance, he couldn’t fall apart just because the stormtrooper that saved his life and looked so damn right in his jacket was injured. He couldn’t disregard his squadron because the scavenger that Finn befriended needed the best hug he could give. He had _responsibilities_.

            BB-8 whistled sharply as they finished their final descent, shaking Poe from his thoughts; he’d gone into autopilot, landing without paying attention. The droid pointedly chattered at him even as landing gear vibrated the fuselage in extension.

            “Seriously? You’re the best buddy.”

            BB-8 chirruped smugly and opened the cockpit dome still a meter and a half from landing. Poe was unhooked and dismounting before his X-wing touched the ground, waving off flight crew questions and heading for the bobbling-landing Millennium Falcon. The medics made it to the lowering deck door the same time he did, Chewie carrying Finn carefully. Chewie mournfully warbled before laying Finn on the deck shuttle and stepping back for the medics to look him over. They shouted jargon back and forth to each other and Poe saw Rey descend slowly like the wrong step would shatter her. Just as he stepped toward her the shuttle began to pull away; Finn needed surgery. Torn he looked to Rey who nodded in Finn’s direction. He flashed her a smile, the one that usually made the recipient blush and think of after, and she smiled back. It was watery at best but it was enough for him to follow the shuttle and Finn. General Organa passed them, squeezing Chewie’s then his arms in passing, passing a little bit of her strength on before meeting Rey.

            The medics shut the surgery doors on their faces without any words and the in-progress light flickered on. Chewie grumbled before moving to lean against the wall. Poe mirrored the movement and let his knees give out. His back thunked against the wall and he slid down in a jumble of limbs. Now he had to wait. He hated waiting.

            Rey’s arrival was announced by Chewie crooning softly in the direction opposite of the surgery doors. Poe raised his head to see her knowing her eyes would match his, red and achy from too many tears, shed and unshed. She crouched next to him, examining him while listening to what Chewie told her. She nodded, squeezed Poe’s knee with an unsurprisingly strong grip before standing. Now somehow looking more like herself, she took Chewie’s hand and led him away.

            “Where are you going?” Poe found it hard that she would just walk away from where Finn was.

            “The Falcon needs repairs,” she replied matter-of-factly before turning a corner and disappearing. From that direction he heard her voice speak and then BB-8 came rolling around the corner, chittering.

He laughed. “She sent you to keep an eye on me, huh? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you like her more than me.”

BB-8 made a noise that sounded like it was farting and Poe clapped a hand on BB-8’s head. No wonder Finn and BB-8 liked her so much. Finn was pretty flighty when nervous; her no-nonsense approach to everything was so grounding. Unfortunately for him he couldn’t take a page from her book. If he got anywhere near his X-wing he’d be forced to join the raucous party happening on the flight deck outside. He could hear the din from his place deep in the base.

            Somewhere in the hours Finn was in surgery, Poe drifted off to sleep and somewhere in between waking and sleep he felt small, strong hands grasp his flight harness and haul him upright.

            “Lead on, BB-8.”

            “Traitor,” he murmured into a soft neck that smelled like too many hours in an engine.

            “He’s still in surgery,” Rey growled as she hiked his limp form higher. “I’ll wake you when he’s out.”

            It was that promise that had him helping her help him out of his flight suit and into bed where he fell asleep and dreamed he was at his favorite bar. Finn and Rey were there too, leaning companionably against each other laughing at whatever he just said. Finn was delightfully drunk and Rey was not despite the amount imbibed. It was a good dream and when he woke he was sad to see it go.

            Dressed and fed, with some extra food for Rey, he made his way to surgery. The light was still on and Rey slept sitting up, arms loosely around BB-8 as it held up her body. It chirped a quiet greeting but even that had Rey startling awake.

            “Finn!”

            “He’s still in surgery,” Poe answered quietly, feeling a startling sense of déjà vu. “Have you eaten?”

            Seeing the food she grabbed it and began devouring it at a speed that would horrify him if were anyone else. BB-8 made room for Poe and he sat next to Rey. As she finished eating she told about how she met BB-8, Finn, and how they ended up at Maz’s. She told him about her capture and subsequent escape. She sounded so amazed as she talked about her using the Force to tell her guard to let her go and leave her his blaster. Poe grinned and nudged her, which coaxed a laugh out of her. He wanted to hear her laugh more. She told him about how Finn defended her with only a lightsaber – “He’s a stormtrooper. Blasters are his best friend and he still drew the cursed thing” – from Kylo Ren.

            “If it weren’t for Chewie we’d still be on Starkiller Base.”

            That part put a shiver through Poe. He barely knew Finn, and Rey even less, but he couldn’t imagine coming back to a world without either of them. Finn was why he was here alive now. Rey was why Finn and he could meet again. If they had died on Starkiller it would have been his fault. He would have killed—

            Small hands gripped one of his and he found Rey’s petite face glaring fiercely into his. Looking down he found his hand held tightly by both of hers. She followed his gaze to their hands and she stiffened but didn’t let go.

            “Finn always grabbed my hand when he was freaked out. I thought it would help.”

Poe squeezed back and smiled.

            “It did. Thanks.” After a beat he remembered tight hands on his upper arm during a foolishly reckless rescue. Of course Finn would make that a habit. “When he rescued me from the Super Star Destroyer he held onto me tighter than his blaster.”

            That provoked a laugh from Rey and, hands still entangled, they spent the rest of their surgery vigil talking first about Finn, then the mechanical complexities of ships. When the surgery in-progress light went out and the first medic stumbled out they were already standing and using the excuse of holding the other back to squeeze the hand in theirs tightly.

            The medic gestured at the now open room. “The walking carpet said to expect you. He’s out of the woods but we’re keeping him under while we monitor his healing.”

Rey pushed past the medic while Poe stopped long enough to kiss them before following her. _Finn was alive!_ crowed over and over through Poe’s mind as he took Finn’s hand. They stayed like that just looking at Finn’s sleeping form until other medics elbowed and shoved them away and moved Finn to a room off the main surgery hall. There wasn’t any furniture so Rey, bless her beautiful scavenger’s heart, found enough storage crates to make a makeshift bed and chairs because they both knew Finn would not be left alone if they could help it.

            Rey stared at his rucksack when he dropped it in Finn’s room and gasped. “Oh no. Your jacket. Ren ruined it. I’m so sorry Poe.”

            “No skin off my back,” he replied blithely then winced, thinking about Finn’s wounds. “I mean, it’s fine. I gave it to Finn before the battle anyway. When he wakes up I’ll go get a new one. One for me, one for him. Hell, one for you if you want it.”

            Rey laughed and eyed his helmet instead. Yeah, he had to get that girl in an X-wing once all this mess was over.

            Poe and Rey’s easy companionship ended when R2-D2 unexpectedly woke and provided the rest of the map to Luke Skywalker. She had to find him and Poe knew it too. “Go,” he said as he handed her a mug of coffee – more milk than coffee since Rey seemed to use sheer stubbornness instead of caffeine to stay awake – late one night as they both watched over Finn. “You have the Falcon and we need Luke Skywalker. I’ll watch Finn.”

            “You’ll tell me when he wakes?”

            “If I can beat BB-8 transmitting the news first, yeah.”

            Rey made her preparations and found them only hours before she was to take off. She kissed Finn’s forehead and promised they would meet again. Then she surprised Poe by catching his arm and kissing his cheek too. For someone so new to physical contact she used it to devastating effectiveness

            “Take care of him, Poe. I’ll see you all again.”

            Poe could only nod as he felt his face heat in what was probably his first blush since he was a teen. Rey also said goodbye to BB-8 and with the roar of newly tuned sublight engines Poe was on his own. For the first time in years he didn’t like it. But he didn’t want to be around the other Resistance members; he only wanted to be surrounded by Finn and Rey. So he sat down on his chair – Rey draped it with black cloth, making it ‘his’ after she found him using both their chairs as a lounge – and waited for the man he owed his life to.

            As his vigil stretched from days to longer Poe refused to leave Finn’s side. He wouldn’t work, nor do the reports from the battle of Starkiller Base. He rarely slept and existed off of stale flight rations. Finally frustrated, his squadron pulled out the big guns in the form of General Organa. She simply stepped in, interrogated the medical droid, checked on Finn herself, and when Poe fell under her scrutinizing gaze he cringed.

            “Get more sleep, Dameron. You’re no good to either of them like this.”

            “Sir,” came out of him by rote as she smiled slightly and left, flipping off the light switch in passing.

            Following orders, he got enough sleep, worked out, managed his squad from Finn’s room. At first he was self-conscious about changing and working out shirtless around Finn but his imagined reaction from Rey – unimpressed with one eyebrow raised like she learned it from the General herself – had Poe relaxing. He talked to Finn constantly, sometimes holding his hand, telling him about how most of the Resistance renamed BB-8 to BB-Poe because of all the work Poe had the droid running. He read Finn all of Rey’s messages, even some of her reports. Under Chewie’s tutelage she was learning to read and write in the languages she spoke as they chased Skywalker’s ghost across the galaxy. Poe promised to teach Finn Droid and any other language he felt Finn would need to live in the galaxy.

            The problem with holding solitary vigil was just that, he was alone. True, Poe had BB-8 but the droid needed power down time too. Talking to Finn helped but Poe only had a few hours of memory for Finn; he couldn’t imagine the myriad of ways Finn could and probably would react to Poe’s stories and antics. Poe did not like being so static but for Finn – and Rey, gods did he miss her – he would be anything.

            He took to holding Finn’s hand while he slept. He worked out more, wanting to be fit enough to keep up with Finn and Rey in whatever trouble they got into. At this point Poe didn’t care if they had to shovel fresh rancor dung, he just wanted to be with Finn and Rey.

            “Wow.”

            Poe’s heart stuttered as he wiped down from a particularly strenuous workout. He heard a minute shuffle and then that rusty ‘wow’ again but a little breathier. He looked down at the skintight shorts he was wearing and, gathering a deep breath, he turned.

            Finn, slightly raised in his bed, was awake and his eyes were wide, taking in Poe, shirtless and slick with sweat. Poe smiled tentatively not feeling at all like an ace pilot and Finn’s eyes widened in panic.

            “Oh God, I died. I died and I’m in some sort of afterlife where Poe is naked.”

            He couldn’t help but laugh as he nearly teleported to Finn’s side, hands already reaching for Finn’s. “I’m only half naked and you’re not dead.”

            “Really?”

            “Really.” Poe smiled impossibly fond as Finn’s hand opened and their fingers entangled. Rey was right, Finn touched when he was anxious. It was so endearing that he would reach for Poe. In that moment, Poe would cheerfully cut off his hand so Finn could hold it forever.

            “Where’s Rey?”

            “Finding Luke Skywalker.”

            “Wow,” Finn breathed for the third time. “That’s gotta be some story. Tell me?”

            “Sure. Can I get dressed?”

            Finn’s hand tightened around Poe’s and it felt like Finn had his heart in his blaster callused hands.

            “Nah. I like you like this.”

            They smiled foolishly at each other a little too long that BB-8 rolled in, saw Finn, and turned a one-eighty speeding towards ops to tell Rey.

            “So, the story?”

            “Oh yeah. Not long after we returned...”


End file.
